Senator LAUCKE
- I ask a question of the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. I refer to the very sad and unsatisfactory circumstances surrounding the frustration of the desire of Mr and Mrs Bob King of Rivett to adopt their partAboriginal foster child Kelly. As the happiness of the child, the foster parents and the mother should be paramount in this matter and achievable if red tape can be cut, I ask the Minister whether he has made any progress in his efforts to facilitate the adoption.

Senator CAVANAGH
-The answer to the honourable senator's question is no. I have received no reply from Mr Waddy, to whom a letter was sent on behalf of the Kings. According to last night's issue of the Canberra 'Advertiser' I believe it was suggested that Mrs Kinsella was coming to Canberra for the purpose, among other things, of seeing me and, eventually, of finalising the' adoption if it is granted by the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory. As has been pointed out to the Kings, there is always the risk in relation to an application for adoption that the court will not give the child to the adoptive parents chosen by the mother. It would appear from a recent newspaper article that the arrangement was not so much that Mrs King apply for adoption but rather that she obtain the consent of the mother to allow the child to remain with her. I believe that the mother and Mrs Kinsella will be coming to Canberra for the purpose of seeing the authorities and me in relation to this matter.